Field
Aspects of the present invention generally relate to communication technology.
Description of the Related Art
Recently, it has been observed that electronic devices, such as a digital camera, a printer, a cellular phone, smartphones, etc., are provided with a wireless communication function enabling them to connect to wireless networks. In particular, these devices are using their wireless communication functions to communicate with each other via a wireless local-area network (LAN).
To connect electronic devices to a wireless network, it is necessary to set various communication parameters, such as an encryption method, an encryption key, an authentication method, an authentication key, etc. As a technique for facilitating setting of these communication parameters, it has been proposed that a mobile terminal read a quick response (QR) Code® that indicates communication parameters and that is displayed by an electronic device, and set the read communication parameters to an access point (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2014-60623).
As described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2014-60623, capturing of an image of code information such as a two-dimensional code in which a large amount of information is encoded triggers setting of communication parameters. This alleviates troublesome input operations performed by a user. In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2014-60623, a method is described in which a QR Code® including identification information for identifying a device presenting the QR Code® is displayed, and in which a device photographing the QR Code® specifies a target device to which communication parameters are to be set.
Identification information with which a device is identified can be dynamically changed. For example, an administrator or the like can rewrite a MAC address in a wireless LAN when necessary. In Wi-Fi Direct®, there are two types of identification information of a device, the P2P device address and P2P interface address. In Wi-Fi Direct®, protocol processing is performed to form a wireless network (P2P group). When a P2P group is to be formed, the P2P interface address is used to identify a device. After a P2P group is formed, the P2P interface address is used to identify a device in communication in the P2P group. Any value can be set to the P2P device address and P2P interface address in a device, and different values can be dynamically set to the P2P device address and P2P interface address.
When identification information of a device is thus allowed to be dynamically changed, a device capable of displaying a QR Code® for which information is dynamically changed can display its identification information that has been changed as appropriate. However, when a QR Code® is displayed on a label or the like, it is not possible to dynamically change information indicated by the QR Code®. Therefore, under such circumstances, it is not possible for a QR Code® to include information for identifying a device.